1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and more specifically to methods and systems that permit use of non-macro cells within macro-cellular networks with low power consumption incurred by the mobile device.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication (e.g. voice, data, multimedia, etc.) to multiple users. Increasing demand for high-rate data services has prompted wireless service providers to develop higher speed communications networks that maintain efficient and robust performance. Competition among wireless service providers and increased user demand has also motivated service providers to provide reliable and enhanced service at low prices.
In response, wireless providers are introducing user-connectable network improvements. One example of these improvements include semi or un-planned deployment cells that facilitate cellular access at user-designated sites. These cells are provided by small, low power base stations that may be installed by a user at a home or office site, for instance. Furthermore, these base stations provide enhanced wireless coverage within a relatively small area (e.g., as compared with a macro cell) by connecting to mobile devices and routing device traffic to a wireless network provider over IP or broadband network links. Additionally, these base stations can facilitate reduced mobile power consumption due to inherent proximity of the relatively small coverage area. There are various sizes of small non-macro base stations, and a corresponding variety of terms, including access point base stations, home node B (HNB) or femto cells. Providers see user-connectable non-macro cells as a way to fill gaps in macro-cellular networks at low cost, and typically seek to incentivize users to acquire such cells by modifying how they account cell owners' network usage.
User-deployed cells raise a number of issues, including how devices find a non-macro cell when operating on a macro-cellular network and how mobile providers and cell owners control access to the cells. Though many cell search and acquisition schemes are possible, carriers and device manufacturers seek to provide search and acquisition schemes that are robust, that minimize search and acquisition times, that have minimal impact on device power consumption, and which do not meaningfully affect device performance with existing macro-cellular networks. There is, therefore, a need in the art for non-macro cell search and acquisition procedures that don't meaningfully increase power consumption and thus provide idle state run time consistent with devices that operate solely on the macro-cellular network.